Crankless engine or motor.



D. H. RBIMERS.

GRANKLESS ENGINE 0R MOTOR.

APPLIGATION FILED Dncnz, 1907.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.'

m Tim-mm D. H. REIMERS.

CRANKLESS ENGINE OB. MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED m0,?, 1907.

Patented 0@t.5,19o9.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

D. H. REIMERS. GRANKLBSS ENGINE 0R MOTOR.

APPLIGATION FILED 1020.7, 1907.

936,036. l 'Patented 001151909.

6 SHEBTSTSHEET 3.

. L @LTU/6772274 Gh( V CMGz/manf DLH. REIMERS.

GRANKLESS ENGINE 0R MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 7, 1907.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

D. H. RBIMERS. cRANKLBss ENGINE 0R MOTOR.

AIPLVIGATION FILED DEO. 7, 1907.

' Patented 0ct.5,1909.

D. H. RBIMBRS. CRANKLESS ENGINE 0R MOTOR.

. 'APPLICATION PIILBD DBO. 7. 1907.- 986,036.

Patented 001:. 5, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

i drawings, which D'YQKEfI-I. REIMERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINGS.

CRNKLESS ENGINE OR TOTGR.

aaaoae.

Specification of Letters Patenteg rat-@atea oet. 5., ieee.

This invention relates to' certain new and usefui improvements in hydro-carbon 'en-I gines or motors of the revolving cylinder type, and consists in certa-in peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, and operation of the variousjparts thereof, as wili be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claiined.

he principal objects of the invention are to furnish an engine capable of producing the greatest speed with the smallest inotor and with minimum expense, which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable, and efficient in operation, self-cooling, automatically lubricating, and so made that its parts may be easily7 asseinbled and access thereto readily attained when required for repairs.

.Another object of the invention is to provide an engine of such construction that-,its cylinders will be continuously and thoroughly lubricated and will exhaust into substantially a vacuum, thereby'i'overcoining-atmospheric resistance and avoiding the back pressure incident to the use of inufiers and preventing the sparloplugs becoming coated with soot, and fouling of the cylinders, which would render the engine ineiiicient by reason of the uncertainty of or premature explosions.

Still another important object is to provide means for producing perfectly balanced explosions, and inV sequence or consecutively throughout the series of cylinders, thus avoiding jumps as is the casein the type of engines heretofore constructed, thereby attaining uniformity of movement without unnecessary vibration, and conserving and utilizing the full effect of the charges.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention `will be disclosed in the suhjoined description and explanation.

in order to enableotliers skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, maire and use 'the saine, l will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying serve to illustrate the. invention, but it will he understood 'that the mechanism illustrated is only one of many possible embodiments that fall within the scope of this invention.

in the said drawings-Figure 1 is a view in elevation of one end of a complete engine embodying one form of the invention; Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the feeding Ior intake side of the engine with the carbureter shown in Fig. 1 omitted; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the opposite side from that shown'in Fig. 2 with the power transmitting pulley and coinmutator omitted; Fig. l is a central vertical cross-sectional view of Fig. 1; Fig.A

i 5 is an outer view in' elevation of the intake spider snowing it detached; Fig. 6 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation thereof taken on line GMG of Fig. 5 looking in the directionindicated by the arrows; Fig. 7 is an outer face view of the cam which controls the intake valves; Fig. 8 is an edge view thereof; Fig. 9 is a fraginental view of the inner face thereof; Fig. 10 is an outer faceview of the cain which controls the eX- haust valves; Fig. 11, is an edge 'view thereof; Fig. 12 is a fragmental view of the inner surface of the saine; Fig. 13 is a central sectional view of one forni of the cylin-l ders of the engine; F ig. 14;'l is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of one of the cyliiiders and apart of the sparking segment; Fig. 15 is a side View in elevation of a modi- -fled forin of the cylinders of the engine, illustrating a modilicationin the construction of n "the piston-controllingrace; Fig. 16 is a sectional view vtaken on line 16-16 of Fig. 15 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; F ig. 17 is a view in side elevation, illustrating another modification in the construction of the'engine cylinder, and also in -the construction of the piston-controllingrace; Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 18-18 of Fig. 17 looking in the direction indicated bythe arrows; Fig. 19 is a view in side elevation illustrating still an-l other rnodified forni of the cylinders of theA engine, andanother modification in the con-4 struction of the pistonecontrolling-race; and

F'g. E20 is a cross-sectional view partly in elevation taken on line 20w-20 of Fig. 19 looking in the direction indicated by `the arrows.

Lilie numerals of reference, refer to cor? responding parts throughout the di'derent views of the drawings.

The reference numeral 25 designates the bed-plate on which the supporting-frame and piston-controlling race are mounted,

and while said bed-plate is shown in a horizontal osition and the engine is illustrated and wil hereinafter be described as rotating in a vertical plane, yet l do not desire to -be limited to such positions of the parts,

as the engine may rotate' in a horizontal `plane and may be suitably supported for such operation.

Mounted at each side of the bed or baseplate 25 and at about its middle 'are uprights 26 and 27, each of which is preferably provided with a vertical rib 28 for` strengthening the same. The upper portio of the upright 26 is formed or provided with a hollow and inwardly projecting extension 29 fwhich forms a bearing for the driven. or

power transmittinglshaft 30, which preferably has a tapered inner portion on which the cylinders are mounted, and a reduced 4 and screw-threaded innerend 3l to receive may have communication through a pipe with a su ply of gasolene or other suitable hydro-Carson. I

Mounted on the bed-plate and extending longitudinally thereof at about its middleis a piston-controlling race-plate 36, which is supported near each of its ends on each side thereof by meansf of bars 37 which are bolted at their upper ends to the plate 36 and at their lower ends to the supporting-plate 25 or base. The lower portion of the race-plate 36 is additionally supported by means of braces 38 secured at one of their ends en each side of. the lower portion ofv the plate and at their other ends to the supporting or bed-plate. The piston-controlling race-plate 36 may bel made of any suitable size and material and is formed with an opening, which is substantially elliptical in shape, the walls circumscribing which form the race 39 which guides or controls the action of the pistons of the cylinders. 'By reference to the drawings, and particularly Figs. 2 and 3 thereof, it will be seen that the race 39 is slightly more diametrically contracted as at 40 and 41 midway between its ends, or rather midway between the intersection therewith of a line drawn through its greatest diameter, for instance, from a point indicated at .42 to another point indicated at 43 at the ends of the plate, than the other portions of the race, thus producing slight inward projections 40 and 41 in the race, from which points and on either side thereof the walls will4 retreat to the points 42 and 43 at the ends of the race. When the plate 36 is secured in position, the inner portion of the rotary or driven shaft 30 will occupy a cen-l tral position within the race 39, and the cylinders, which are preferably made integral with one another as shown in Fig. 13, may be secured on the shaft 30 in any suitable manner, but by preference, by means of a ceive a portion of the shaft 30, and each of v the'se cylinders has at its inner end an inlet port 50 and diametrically opposite the same an outlet or exhaust port 51 to vbe opened and closed by means of suitable valves, as will be presently explained. Around each of the inlet ports 50 and each of the exhaust ports 51 on each of the cylinders is provided or produced an annular flange or boss with which the innerv ends 53 of each of the inlet valve-casings 54 and exhaust valvecasings 55 engage. Each of the valve-casings 54 and 55 is provided near its inner end on its outer surface with a flange 56 which rest-s on the outer ends of the flanges or bosses 52 and are held in place thereon by means of centrally apertured and. pe-

' ripherally recessed'plates 57, the shaft 30 being extended'through the aperture offsaid plates and the 'valverasings embraced. by theperipheral recesses thereof. These-plates are bolted or otherwise secured to the hub or central portion of the cylinders so as to clamp the flanges 56 of the valve-casings against the bosses 52, as is apparent. 'Each vof the valve-casingsl54 and 55 is provided on its outer portion with an arm 58, to'each of which is pivotally secured one end 'of a lever 59 which has journaled on its other end' a small roller 60 to co-act with the valvestems, and each of said arms has journaled on its outer portion near its free end another roller 61 to co-act with'the valve operating cams 62 and 63 which are supported on opposite sides of the cylinders byv meansof 1- skeleton or spider-like frames, indicated as a whole by the reference numerals 64, see A Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. Each of theseframes has a central circular portion 65, one of which surrounds the shaft 30 and the other the neck of the intake'l spider or distributer, `which is rotatably mounted on the pipe 33 which leads from the carbureter, and ach of said circular portions 65 has radiating therefrom a series of arms 66 which are inwardly inclined toward their outer ends and are secured 'at said ends to the sides of the race-plate 36, vthus supporting walls thereof.

the central portion 65 of each of said frames at some distance from the outer ends. of the inlet and exhaust valves of the cylinders.

Secured to the' inner surface of the central portion 65 of the frame G11 on the intake side of the engine cylinders is acam (57 employed to co-act with the rollers G1 on the levers 59 for controllinv the inlet valves. Secured to the inner surface of'the central portion 05 of the frame (34 on the exhaust sideI of the cylinders is a-`ca1n 68 used to co-act with the rollers 61 on the levers 59 for opera-ting the rtionor neck 71 having its outer end eX- ternally screw -threaded, and a Fseries of radial pipe sections '72 communicatingtherewith at one of their ends and having their other ends turned as at 73 and each provided with an apertured flange 7d (see Figs.` 5 and (i) to ce used for connectingr the pipe sections 72 to similar flanges 75 on the inlet valve-casings 54 at the inlet 1ports 76 in the Mounted yon the neck 71 of the intake spider or distributer is a coneshaped collar or nut 77 Iwhich tapers outwardly and has at its periphery an outwardly turned flzinge78 Which forms a cup receptacle around the inner portion of the cone 7'? to Which'oil ma' be supplied through a pipe 9 leading froma source of oil supply (not shon'n}. Connected to the cone-nut or collar 77 and communicating With the cup or receptacle thereof lare a series of small tubes 851" which lead to and communicate at their other ends with the cylinders near the outer ends thereof. Mounted on the feedpipe '53 and engaging the outer portion of the neck-'71 of the intake spider is a stuffing -box S1, which will rotate With the spider in the operation of the engine. Each of the exhaust valve-casings is provided with an outlet port Si and has secured to its Walls around said port an exhaust pipe 8 3 which are inclined or cent at their free ends in a direction opposite to that in which the cyl indersrotate, as will bennderstood by reference to Fig. of the drawings. The inner end of each of the exhaust pipes SB is proi a dangle 74 similar to that on each 72 or the distributor, which secured to Hang-es 7 on the cxe citings 55 at their outlet ports'.

, lo ated in each offthe inlet valveeach of the exhaust l'valve- '71 each of 'which has if, close their respective ports. 0n its outer end each of the stems 84 has a head 86 which heads coact with the rollers on the levers 59 and are held in Contact with said rollers by means of springs 87 encircling` the outer portions of the stems, and said springs also serve to hold the rollers 61 on said levers in contact with the cams 67 and 68 for the inlet and exhaust valves, respectively.

Each of the cylinders is provided on its intake surface with a lug 88 to which is secured a piece of fiber S9 or other insulating material, on the outer surface of which is secured a metallic piece 90 (see Fig. 14) from which leads au electric conductor 91 toy a spark-plmy 92 on a boss 93 which communicates with the cylinder near its inner end. Secured at its ends to two of the arms 6G of the skeleton-frame (Set on that side of the engine adjacent to the -carloureter is a segment 94C Which is insulated from the arms 66, and` is so located that it will be n ear the path fo/f the plates 90 on the cylinders in the revolution thereof. provided with an adjustable binding-post or screw 95 to which connects one end of a conductor'96 to the segment, the other end of which leads to a spark-coil (not shown). By this arrangement it is evident that the binding-post or screw 95 may he adjusted so as to extend at its inner end near the plates y90 in their revolutionsin order'to create a l)unaplng spark, As will be seen 1n Figs. 4l:

and 18 of theg'dra'ivings the outer ends 'of the cylinders are'open so that the pistons 97, which are preferably hollow for the 'purpose of lightness, can be inserted therein and so The segment 94C isl that'4 their outer/ends can protrude through the open ends of the cylinders. Each of the cylinders preferably has a thickened portion 98 near its inner end and is formed around said thickened portion with a series of grooves 99 in which are located packing rings of the ordinary kind. he outer end of each of the pistons 97 is formed or provided With tvvo spaced apart extensions 100 on and between the outer ends of which is journaled a roller-bearing` roller 101 the peripheries of each of which extend far enough beyond the outer ends of the extensions 100 to permit them to contact Wit-h the race in the race-plate. On the ends of the shaft 10:2 of each of the rollers .101 are pivotally secured two oppositely extending arms 103, each of which is provided at one of. its ends with forks 104 having openings therein to receive the shaft 102 and adapted to stride the projections 100 on the outer ends of the pistons. The other ends of each of the arms 103 are provided with suit ly screw-threaded sockets to receive the screw-threaded ends of rods 105 which connect the arms 103 and Suitably mounted' on that side of the supporting-frame on-which the rotary shaft is j ournaled and surrounding said shaft is Aa commutator 106 of the ordinary or any preferred construction, parts of which co-act in a well-known waywith contact points 107 extending radially from said shaft. Leading from the commutator 106 to a source of electricity (not shown) is a conductor 108. Mounted on'the shaft 30 near the commutator is a pulleyor gear 109 used for transmitting power generated by the engine.

In Figs. 15 and 16 is shown a modification in the construction orAV the piston-controllingrace and also a modification in the construcders are employed, and as before, they are of its sides with a groove 112which describe' preferably made integral, but arranged et obtuse angles with respect to one -another and are adapted to be mounted on the ro'- tary shaft 30 so as to rotate therewith. The pistons 97 in this construction have journaled on the inner surface of each of their extensions 104: a pair of spaced-apart rollers 111 which are adapted to .impinge against the sides of the rails 11.0 so `as to c se the pistons 97 in the revolution of the gu to reciprocate back and forth therein.

In Figs. 17 and 18 is shown still another modification in the constructionof' the race and motive part of the engine, which consists in providing the race-plate 36 on each a ligure ysubstantially the same in outlines as that described by the race shown in Fig.p.2,

and said' grooves which constitute they race in this construction are preferably produced by securing two spaced-apart strips 113 and 114 to the sides of the plate 36 at and near' the border of the opening therein. ln this modification a single cylinder is mounted on the rotary-shaft and is preferably counterbalanced by means of an enlargement 115 produced thereon at its end opposite to that in which the 'piston operates. The exten'- sions 104 on the pistons97 in thisgonstruction each has journaled oniits inner surface a roller 116v to travel in the grooves'llQ between t'he strips 113 and 114 therefor.

ln Figs. 19 and 20 is shown still another modification inthe construction of the race and cylinders of the engine, in which two cylinders preferably integral with' one yanother are employed lto operate in a race race-plate.

c linders esaoe substantially the same shape as Athat shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings and abovedescribed. ln the present modification the cylinders are mounted to rotate with the shaft 30, and each pair of the extensions of `the pistons thereof has journaled between the-same a grooved roller 117 which co-'act wall 118 with the a/ngularly shaped edge or y ln thisof the race 39 in the race-plate.

vmodification a pair of arms 103 of the same form as tho e used in the construction shown in Figs. 2, and i and' above-described are pivotally connected to the extensions 104 on the pistons`, and the-other ends of said arms are connected by means of rods 105 to two Apair of arms 103 located diametrically opposite each other and at a sufficient distance from the cylinders to cause the rollers 117,

with whicl'i each of said pair of the arms is v equlpped, to contactV with and travel on the angular-shaped wall of the race 39 in the `From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings it will vbe clearly understood and readily seenthat the cylinder or'cylindersof the engine with the various parts thereof 'may be assembled as above-described, and placed and secured on the inner portion of the shaft 30 and within the pisyton-controlling-raceafter the skeleton-frame 64 on the exhaust side of the engine has been secured in place, afterl which the skeletonframe 64 on the inlet side of the engine may be secured in position, when by rotating the shaft 30 by any suitable means, it is evident thatin the rotation of the cylinders the inlet valves, byreason of their c'oa :tion with. the enlarged portion 69 of the cam which controls them,` will be opened consecutively: so as. to permit the gas or vapor to pass from the carbureter through the pipe 3 3 and intake spider into the inlet valve-casings and from thence into the inner portions ,of the cylinders where the charges will be 'consecu-' tively exploded by reason of the co-action .of the contactl plates 90 with the adjustable screw or post'95 on the segment-"94, which contact plates in the rotation of the cylin-` ders will pass in close proximity to the ends 'of the screw or post95, thus producing? jumping sparks in the well-known wayzjthe cylinders continue to revolve-it is .evi-'- dent that the enlarged portion l"i Oon the cam..

68'whicli controls the 4exhaust valves .85 will cause said valves to open consecutively and v thus permit the -lournt products of' the" eaaoee sooting or" the spark-plugs. The operation of lubricating the cylinders et the enginel is thorough and automatic and is performed by means of the pipe 79, which leads from a supply ot oil to the cup-shaped periphery 78 I of the cone 7'? `which is mounted on the neck 71 of the intake spider or distributor and by means of tube 80 which lead from the cup SS to the -cylinders and communicate thereivitli. fis the cylinders rotate at a. very high rate of speed it is evident that the oil discharged from the pipe 79 against the coner 7T ivill be by centrifugal force caused to pass through the tubes 80 into the cylinders, and it is apparent that the surplus oil or lubricant will be discharged therefrom through the outer ends of the cylinders.

In the modifications shown in Figs. '15 to 20, inclusive, practically the saine means as above-described for igniting the gas or vapor and for lubricating the cylinders may be employed, and for thisl reason it is not deemed necessary to enter into a detailed explanation thereof. y

By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings it will bennderstood that the cylinders will revolve in the direction indicated by the arrowsin said figures and that the operation ot charging each cylinder, then compressing the lchaige, then exploding i he saine, and then exhausting the charge, will be identical and will talie place in sequence or consecutively in the cylinders, for example, just as the roller 101 on the piston of the cylinder 44 approaches the point llot the race 39 the inlet valve of said cylinder Will begin to open by reason of its co-action With the cani 67 and said cylinder will receive its chargeiii, .s passage from the point 41 to the point 43, Where the roller 101 of the cylindeiwll is non shown as being located. On its passage from the point 43 of the race to the point 40 thereof the charge inf the cylinder 44 will be compressed, and just as it leaves the point `i0 iii its movement toward the point 42 ot Ithe race the4 explosion of the charge will take place by reason ot the arrangement oic the sparking appliances, and in this movement from the point 40 to Tit is evident. that the piston will be forced outvvardly by reason of the explosion and will climb the Wedge-shaped part of the race until it' approaches the point i2, when just as it reaches said point, the exhaust-valve for said cylinder will begin to open and the exhaust thereof will take place'as the cylinder passes from the point 12 to the point L11 et the race. As before stated,v the abovenamed operation will take place consecutively, and as 'the pistons are i'novably united together by means of the arms 103 and 105 it `isapparent that they will move in perfect accord or synchronism.

From the above description of my iin-A p'rovements it will be seen that the 'improved engine orU inotor constructed according to iny invention is of an extremely compact,y

vtact that it will automatically lubricate its parts and is self-cooling as Well as substantially noiseless in its exhaust, and, it will also be evidentfrom the above description that the device is susceptible' of considerable modification Without material departure from the principles and spirit of,

the invention, and for this reason l do not desire to be understood as limiting myseltl to the precise torni and arrangement of the several parts of the device as herein set forth in carrying outk my invention in practice. y

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent,` is- 1. A crankless engine consisting of a supporting-frame, a cylinder rotatably mounted thereon, a. piston in the cylinder, a coneshaped collar having a peripheral flange 'forming a cup and adapted to rota-th'ivith the cylinder, a tube to supply oil to the collar and cup, one of its ends with the cup and at its other end with the cavity ot the cylinder.

2. A crankless engine consisting ot a plurality of cylinders having their inner ends and another lube connected at joined together and mounted to rotate, a reciprocating piston in each of said cylinders;

a piston-controlling-race supported around the cylinders and longitudinally thereof, means on the outer portion of cach of the pistons to movably engage the race, and connections pivotally uniting the ,outer portions of the pistons one with the other.

3. A crankless engine consisting of a plurality ci cylinders joined Vtogether at their inner ends and mounted to rotate, a recipio- 1.10

:ating piston in each. of said cylinders, a race substantially elliptical in form supported around the cylinders and longitudinally with respect thereto and having slight inward extensions diainetrically opposite each other on its smallest diameter, means inovably connecting the outer portion of the piston With the race, and connections uniting the outer portions of the pistons with one another.

Kl. A cranliless engine consisting of a pluconnecting the outer portion of each of the @Segond the cylinders and longitudinally with respeot thereto, means movably connecting the outer portion of each of the pistons with the race, connections uniting the outer portions of the pistons' one with another, a coneshaped collar having a peripheral flange forming a cup and. adapted to rotatieJ with the cylinders, a tube to supply oil to the collar and cup, and other tubes communicating at one of their ends with the cup and at their other ends with the cavities of the cylinders.

6. Acrankless engine consisting of a supporting frame, a rotary shaft mounted thereon and extending inwardly of the fra/me at one of its ends, power transmitting means mounted on the shaft at its outer end, a 1notive fluid supply-pipe rigidly mounted on the supporting-frame in alinem'ent with the rotary-shaft and having communication at one of its ends with a supply ofmotive fluid, a 'plurality of cylinders having their inner portions Joined together and -inounted on the inner portion of the rotary-shaft to turn therewith, each of said cylinders having an inletsvalve-casing and an outlet-valve-casing, a reciprocating piston in each of theI cylinders, a face supported around the c'ylirri ders and longitudinally thereof, a roller journaled on the outer portion of each of the pistons to engage therace, connections unitingythe outer portions of the pistons with one another, a distributing spider rotatably mounted at its outer portion on the inner portion of the motive supply-pipe and having radial pipes communicating with the inletsvalve-oasings and secured thereto, a centrally apertured skeleton-frame secured to each side of the race and surrounding the rotary-shaft and a portion of the distributing spider, a cam secured on the inner surtace -of the central portionof each of said skeleton-frames, an arm on each ofthe inlet and eXhaust-valve-casings, a lever pivotally` secured at one of its ends to each of said arms and each provided with a roller on its free end and another roller on itsouter surface, a spring-actuated valve-stem in each of the valve-casings,"a valve on the inner portion of each of said stems, said stems adapted to co-act at their outer ends with the rollers at the ends of vsaid levers and the rollers on the outer surfaces of said levers adapted to co-act with the said cams whereby the valves will be opened and closed consecutively in the revolutionof the cylinders.

DYCKE H. REIMERS.

Witnesses 4 CHAs. E. GoR'roN, Crans. C. TILLMAN. 

